You just shorted my nostalgia circuit recalling that—and all those animal movies/shows from that period. Just in the lion category, you had Born Free (later a TV series), Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion (and then the series, Daktari,) and the animated Kimba the White Lion (which, I think, was even more a direct model for The Lion King.)

Then, of course, there was Flipper... and Gentle Ben... and... I'm showing my age. Man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream.